


Going Away

by aroseintheimpala



Category: Supernatural
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-11-29
Updated: 2013-11-29
Packaged: 2018-01-02 22:55:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,176
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1062639
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aroseintheimpala/pseuds/aroseintheimpala
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sam is going back to Stanford along with Kevin, and Dean decides they should have a going away party for their last night in the bunker. Cas can tell that Dean isn't as happy as he seems and comforts him when Sam and Kevin can't see. Post-S9.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Going Away

**Author's Note:**

> One-shot for now because I don't want to commit, but it's possible I'll add more ficlets in the future about roommates Sam and Kevin and hunters Dean and Cas!

Sam and Kevin were sitting at the table in the bunker surrounded by an organized mess of paperwork and textbooks. Stanford University classes would officially begin on Monday morning, and the two of them were spending Saturday night tying up loose ends before their big move to California. For Kevin, that apparently meant attempting to read through an entire textbook. They looked up as an armload of brown paper bags came through the door with Dean’s face hidden somewhere behind them. He used his elbow to keep the door propped open for Cas, who was following him with even more bags. 

“Let’s get this party started!” Dean yelled as they descended the stairs. 

Sam shook his head and laughed. He asked, “Is all of this really necessary?”

“Necessary?” Dean balked. “It’s practically mandatory! You and Katniss Solo here are leaving for Stanford tomorrow, and in case you forgot, we saved the world. Again. So yes, Sam, we are celebrating.”

Sam shut his laptop and peaked into the bag Dean sat down closest to him. “What’s the plan?”

Dean began lining up various bottles of alcoholic beverages on the table. “We are going to have a going away party that you will never forget, isn’t that right, Cas?” 

Cas nodded. “That’s what you said, yes.”

“Try not to sound so excited, Cas. You might break something.” Kevin mumbled from behind his textbook. Sam snorted.

“I still don’t understand why humans throw a party to commemorate someone’s ‘going away’,” Cas framed the words in air quotes. “I do not wish to see either of you leave.”

Dean grinned and clapped a hand on Cas’s shoulder. “Dude, you are such a sap.”

Cas tilted his head and looked at Dean quizzically. 

“Nevermind,” Dean said with a shake of his head. He gave Cas’s shoulder a quick squeeze and continued unpacking bags until he found the one he was looking for. “Aha!”

He pulled out the newly purchased DVDs and splayed them across the table.

“We are going to watch The Walking Dead and drink beer until we pass out,” he said, sounding proud of himself. “Except you,” he pointed at Kevin. “We don’t have a week for you to recover before classes start.”

Kevin groaned. “Are you really still talking about Branson? That was months ago!”

“Not taking any chances,” he called over his shoulder as he began moving the groceries into the kitchen. Cas followed him with an armload of chips and cheese dip.

Kevin scowled and pulled the book back in front of his face.

“You do know that classes don’t start until Monday, right?” Sam asked him.

“Yes,” Kevin said impatiently, “but I want to be prepared. I’m already at a disadvantage because of our little extended hunting trip. I can’t afford to lose my scholarship and end up hustling pool for a living for the rest of my life.”

“Touche,” Sam said. 

A muffled yell came from the direction of the kitchen, “I heard that!” 

Sam and Kevin laughed before returning to their respective work.

In the kitchen, Dean was placing canned soup in the cabinets as Cas handed them to him. He had fallen silent after they left the boys in the other room. Cas stared at him with blue eyes full of concern. Finally, Dean stopped and said, “What’s wrong, Cas?”

“You’re not happy,” he stated.

“Of course I am! Tonight is going to be awesome!” 

Dean had a huge grin plastered on his face, but Cas still looked at him as if he might break. 

“But tonight isn’t what you’re worried about,” he said a little more softly.

Dean’s smile faded and he directed his eyes to the can he was turning distractedly in his hands. 

“I thought you couldn’t read minds anymore,” he said with a small smile that didn’t reach his eyes.

Cas smiled back sympathetically and placed his hand on Dean’s upper arm. “I don’t have to read yours to know what you’re thinking. You don’t want Sam to leave.”

Dean’s eyes shot to Cas’s hand on his arm and then slowly trailed up to look at him again. The bravado he had been working on all evening was all but gone, and his breath came out shakier than he intended.

“That makes me a terrible person, doesn’t it?” he asked quietly.

Cas pulled his hand back and leaned against the counter. “No, it doesn’t. It makes you human. You have always taken care of Sam, and it is only natural that you would be worried about him leaving now.”

Dean placed the last can in the cabinet and shut the door. He leaned against the counter next to Cas and tilted his head. From that angle, he could just see Sam laugh as he dodged a ball of paper Kevin must have thrown his way.

He said, “Yeah but it’s not like he’s a kid anymore. He wants his own life, his own family. And he should. He would already have that if I hadn’t turned up.”

“Dean,” Cas said. 

Dean was staring at the floor now. His knuckles were white from his grip on the counter, and there were at least three wrinkles working their way across his forehead. He looked up to meet Cas’s stare after a few seconds. His eyes softened almost immediately, and with the frustration gone, Cas could see the unshed tears that threatened to fall. He wanted to say the right thing to make Dean feel better, but instead he just looked into Dean’s eyes and poured his heart into that act. They did this a lot. Their stares were longer than most humans deemed comfortable, but it wasn’t just holding eye contact. It was a full conversation. More was spoken in those moments than any actual conversation they’d ever had. 

Finally, Dean sighed and rubbed his hand over his face, as if he could wipe away everything his eyes had just confessed. 

“Guess we should get back in there,” he said.

Before he could walk away, Cas grabbed his shoulder and pulled him into a hug. Dean grunted in surprise but wrapped his arms around him and allowed Cas to pull him closer. Cas placed a hand on the back of his neck, and Dean buried his face in Cas’s shoulder. He took a deep, shuddering breath and exhaled slowly. He allowed himself to indulge in the solace of Cas’s calming presence for just a few seconds before drawing himself back up into a confident stance. He nodded at Cas, acknowledging what he wouldn’t say; that he had really needed the comfort Cas was offering. 

With renewed strength, Dean turned and walked back into the control room with Cas trailing behind him. He would no doubt be hovering like a worried mom tomorrow while they helped the guys move into their new apartment, but he was feeling a lot less worried about the whole thing for the moment. Sam and Kevin would have each other’s backs at Stanford, and Dean was pretty sure that he and Cas would be just fine.


End file.
